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4.17 AVERAGE
4.17 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Mysterious Skin is an incredibly complex and superbly written novel... and I will never read it again. Scott Heim's novel is incredibly difficult to read (huge content warning for SA/CSA). The novel forces you to recoil the entire time, and is written in such a raw and real way. The entire book is incredibly heavy and upsetting, so be warned. However, it provides an important perspective on cycles of sexual abuse and the ways that coping can differ from person to person. The most standout bit to me was the very end of the book. The conclusion is haunting, beautiful, and deeply saddening.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence
This book is like a gut punch to the soul. Neil was molested by his coach as a child but thinks it was love and it causes him to make some dangerous decisions throughout his life. Brian lost hours as a child and thinks he was abducted by aliens and eventually sets out to find answers. Both of these boys were outcasts at school and in society. It's heartbreaking how certain childhood experiences can shape the rest of your life. This is a well-written, sad book that's tough to read at times but well worth it. There is a movie adaptation also. This book does deal with child sexual abuse so be warned.
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Beautiful story
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
The subject matter of this book is dark, like really dark, totally not for the squeamish, but it was such a good book. The prose got a bit too flowery at times, uncharacteristically so for the characters, but the cptsd flashbacks were so real to me & resonated a lot. The parts where Brian is remembering his 'alien abduction' -- at first a jumbled mess of cryptic dreams, then it slowly becoming more lucid and real as the reality bleeds out through the walls he put up around that wound. When Neil remembers Brian and the illusion of 'love' shatters, showing the truth that he tried to cover up with hazy clouds of emotions. And it hits him - that unshakeable feeling that cleans him out, hollows him, and leaves him devoid of a sense of Self. Who am I without the lies that I believed in to contain what's left of myself? I also appreciated the movie references - suspiria and the exorcist lol. Horror movies serve as a vessel to explore trauma & catharsis!
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loved this book actually. There's just something that turned me off, perhaps I expected a bit more thorough relationship between the two main characters and I just found out that's not actually the point of the novel.
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Neil...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Alcohol
Minor: Ableism, Car accident, Death of parent
